Casa Ferreirinha pioneered the quality revolution of Douro still wines, becoming the region’s first producer dedicated to this style rather than Port. The estate was founded in 1952 by Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, who released the inaugural vintage of Portugalâs most illustrious red wine, âBarca-Velhaâ, that same year. Today, Casa Ferreirinhaâs winemaking team is led by LuĂs Sottomayor, who trained with Nicolau de Almeida and continues his visionary legacy. The house champions quality red, white and rosĂ© wines from across the Douro, with its top references sourced exclusively from the Douro Superior.
The name Casa Ferreirinha is derived from the affectionate nickname of Dona AntĂłnia Adelaide Ferreira, one of the formidable widows of the world of wine who owned and ran Port House Ferreira in the late 1800s. Purchased by Sogrape in 1987, Casa Ferreirinha currently comprises 520 hectares of vineyards in all three Douro subregions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo, and the Douro Superior. The beautiful Quinta da Leda is Casa Ferreirinhaâs flagship estate, located close to the border with Spain, in the far east of the Douro Superior.
LuĂs Sottomayor restrains the Douroâs natural exuberance to produce wines that have vibrant freshness, beautiful texture and depth. The care with which he selects the fruit for each wine is especially evident in the quality of the whites. Casa Ferreirinhaâs âPlanaltoâ, from higher elevation vineyards, is fresh and vibrant. The unoaked âPapa Figosâ white, a blend of Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio, Arinto and CĂłdega, is crisp and aromatic. Quinta do SairrĂŁo, one of the coolest vineyard sites in the Cima Corgo, planted at 600 metres above sea level, is the source of grapes for Casa Ferreirinhaâs âVinha Grandeâ white and rosĂ©. The white is partially fermented and aged for six months in new French oak barrels, creating a complex and textured expression with buttery richness from the oak. The âVinha Grandeâ rosĂ©, made from 100% Touriga Nacional, boasts bright aromas of red berries with hints of violet and a lively acidity. The estate also makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil from certified organic, ancient olive groves across the Douro Valley in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
The Casa Ferreirinha reds are all characterised by great depth of flavour. They range from the unoaked, ripe and juicy âEstevaâ and âPapa Figosâ to the 12-month oak-aged âVinha Grandeâ. Sourced exclusively from the Douro Superior, âCallabrigaâ marries intense and concentrated aromas of red and black fruit with subtle spicy hints of tobacco box and cocoa, while âCastas Escondidasâ, meaning âhidden varietiesâ, is a unique blend of lesser-known grapes grown across the Douro, including Bastardo, Marufo Tinto, Touriga FĂȘmea and Tinta Francisca. âQuinta da Ledaâ, a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto CĂŁo, Tinta Roriz and SousĂŁo grown on the eponymous estate, is aged for 18 months in oak barrels, 50% of which are new. It is a wine of great complexity and elegance, with velvety tannins, vibrant acidity and aromas of ripe blackberry and plum, cedary spicy notes and a subtle slate-like minerality.
Two of Portugalâs most fabled wines are the jewels in Casa Ferreirinhaâs crown, âReserva Especialâ and âBarca-Velhaâ, grown solely in the Douro Superior. Only produced in outstanding years, LuĂs Sottomayor is scrupulous in declaring a vintage. The most recent âReserva Especialâ 2014 vintage, only the 18th to be declared since 1960, was awarded 98 points by James Suckling. It is complex and powerful yet still remarkably elegant, with notes of black cherries and blackcurrants, with spicy notes of pepper and tobacco box and menthol.
The grapes for this white blend comes from high-altitude vineyard sites in the Douro Valley. The soil in the Douro Valley is schist: a slate-like metamorphic rock that fractures vertically – allowing vine roots to dig deep to access water and nutrients to sustain them through the hot Douro summers. The poor quality of the soil forces the vines to produce low yields of grapes with great concentration of flavour. The Douro is the largest mountainous vineyard area on earth. Due to the steep slopes here, most vineyard operations and harvesting are carried out by hand.
The 2024 vintage in the Douro was deemed a âfantastic yearâ by LuĂs Sottomayor, with the wines showing excellent acidity and âgreat quality, higher than 2011â â 2011 being a notable Barca-Velha declaration year. A rainy winter and early spring with higher-than-average temperatures left good water reserves but required careful management of canopy cover and fungal diseases. Summer saw mild temperatures, with a couple of very hot days in late July and early August (reaching up to 44°C) that caused some grape sunburn. This was followed by stable conditions: sunny days (below 30°C) and cool nights (below 15°C) through August and September, which encouraged slow and excellent ripening. The harvest ran from 28th August to 19th October with rain and more unsettled conditions and rain arriving from late September.
Each grape variety in the blend was vinified separately. Upon arrival at the Casa Ferreirinha winery in Vila Real, the grapes were destemmed, gently crushed and pressed and the must was clarified at low temperatures. This was followed by a cool fermentation at controlled temperatures between 16-18°C to retain the aromatics and freshness of the grapes. After fermentation, the wines were kept in stainless-steel tanks for around six months before the final blend was assembled and bottled.
Lemon yellow in colour with greenish hues. On the nose, intense notes of citrus and tropical fruits stand out along with hints of orange blossom and a touch of minerality. On the palate, the wine is crisp with a lively acidity balancing the concentrated fruit flavours and a clean, fresh finish.
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